❓ Question regarding the WA government's $421 million boost to mental health services, particularly forensic mental health, and a rebuttal of opposition criticisms. The Minister defends the government's investment and criticizes the opposition's understanding of forensic mental health needs.
AnsweredQoN 315Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE BUDGET 2023–24 — MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES
315. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $421 million boost to mental health services in last week's
budget. Can the minister outline to the house how this government is
prioritising mental health services after years of neglect and mismanagement by
the former Liberal–National government?
SERVICES
315. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $421 million boost to mental health services in last week's
budget. Can the minister outline to the house how this government is
prioritising mental health services after years of neglect and mismanagement by
the former Liberal–National government?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Nedlands for
her question and her ongoing interest in and support for mental health
services.
This government has made a record
injection of funding for mental health services in Western Australia, bringing
the overall mental health budget to $1.4 billion a year. That is a more than 50
per cent increase in mental health services since we were elected in 2017.
Importantly, in this budget is the very important reform around forensic mental
health and the $218 million commitment for Graylands Hospital reconfiguration
and the important uplift of forensic mental health facilities for prisoners who
have been charged or convicted of a crime and are suffering from significant mental health issues. We have
known for decades that there has been a significant underinvestment in
forensic mental health services. This is a really important reform and first
stage of the Graylands reconfiguration.
It
is clear that those opposite do not understand this announcement or the mental
health sector. In fact, the Leader of the Liberal Party claimed that
somehow the government was going against expert advice and called Graylands a Victorian-era
asylum. In actual fact, she was quoting from a very old document that has been
revised twice since then. What does that say to the people who are seeking
treatment in Graylands now, which has both voluntary and involuntary
facilities? It is our only tertiary psychiatric teaching hospital. It was a disgraceful
comment.
Under the former Minister for Health, the government
established the GRAFT task force, led by Jim McGinty, to align forensic mental
health with the WA mental health alcohol and other drugs plan. It highlighted
the need for decommissioning and replacing services in a more contemporary
environment. The plan emphasises prioritising forensic mental health care,
which is exactly what we are doing. We are following that plan and we are
prioritising forensic mental health. It also
recommended retaining and expanding the Frankland Centre and reconfiguring non- forensic
inpatients to contemporise and rebalance. That is what we are doing. We are
growing the Frankland Centre's forensic beds by 53 beds, including five
for children and adolescents, which will support those kids particularly in
Banksia who require inpatient support. It is the biggest investment in mental
health in 30 years and it will provide a safe and therapeutic environment for
those prisoners and those charged to recover from their mental health issues
and face court, if that is the next phase for them, or go back to the estate.
The
other comment that was made by the opposition was that this was going against
expert advice and that somehow creating
more inpatient units was the wrong way to go in this instance and we need to
create more community-based facilities. I urge the Leader of the Liberal
Party to google what ''forensic mental health'' means. They are
inpatient facilities for prisoners and for people who have been convicted of a crime.
Is the member suggesting that we put them out in the community? Is that what
was being suggested?
Ms L. Mettam : Absolutely not.
Get your facts right, minister.
Ms A. SANDERSON : That is
exactly what the member said. She has a complete lack of understanding,
claiming that we should be treating prisoners and those convicted of serious
crimes in the community somehow. We will provide the appropriate investment and
double our forensic capacity.
her question and her ongoing interest in and support for mental health
services.
This government has made a record
injection of funding for mental health services in Western Australia, bringing
the overall mental health budget to $1.4 billion a year. That is a more than 50
per cent increase in mental health services since we were elected in 2017.
Importantly, in this budget is the very important reform around forensic mental
health and the $218 million commitment for Graylands Hospital reconfiguration
and the important uplift of forensic mental health facilities for prisoners who
have been charged or convicted of a crime and are suffering from significant mental health issues. We have
known for decades that there has been a significant underinvestment in
forensic mental health services. This is a really important reform and first
stage of the Graylands reconfiguration.
It
is clear that those opposite do not understand this announcement or the mental
health sector. In fact, the Leader of the Liberal Party claimed that
somehow the government was going against expert advice and called Graylands a Victorian-era
asylum. In actual fact, she was quoting from a very old document that has been
revised twice since then. What does that say to the people who are seeking
treatment in Graylands now, which has both voluntary and involuntary
facilities? It is our only tertiary psychiatric teaching hospital. It was a disgraceful
comment.
Under the former Minister for Health, the government
established the GRAFT task force, led by Jim McGinty, to align forensic mental
health with the WA mental health alcohol and other drugs plan. It highlighted
the need for decommissioning and replacing services in a more contemporary
environment. The plan emphasises prioritising forensic mental health care,
which is exactly what we are doing. We are following that plan and we are
prioritising forensic mental health. It also
recommended retaining and expanding the Frankland Centre and reconfiguring non- forensic
inpatients to contemporise and rebalance. That is what we are doing. We are
growing the Frankland Centre's forensic beds by 53 beds, including five
for children and adolescents, which will support those kids particularly in
Banksia who require inpatient support. It is the biggest investment in mental
health in 30 years and it will provide a safe and therapeutic environment for
those prisoners and those charged to recover from their mental health issues
and face court, if that is the next phase for them, or go back to the estate.
The
other comment that was made by the opposition was that this was going against
expert advice and that somehow creating
more inpatient units was the wrong way to go in this instance and we need to
create more community-based facilities. I urge the Leader of the Liberal
Party to google what ''forensic mental health'' means. They are
inpatient facilities for prisoners and for people who have been convicted of a crime.
Is the member suggesting that we put them out in the community? Is that what
was being suggested?
Ms L. Mettam : Absolutely not.
Get your facts right, minister.
Ms A. SANDERSON : That is
exactly what the member said. She has a complete lack of understanding,
claiming that we should be treating prisoners and those convicted of serious
crimes in the community somehow. We will provide the appropriate investment and
double our forensic capacity.
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